ISIS' Beheadings Of 3 Kurdish Peshmerga Fighters In New Video Coincides With The Kurdish New Year

Appearing to have been published to coincide with the Kurdish New Year on Saturday, a video purportedly showing ISIS beheading three Kurdish Peshmerga fighters in northern Iraq has emerged. Clad in all black, the Kurdish-speaking militants decapitated three Peshmerga in orange jumpsuits and threatened to kill the "dozens" more that ISIS is currently holding captive.

The Peshmerga have become one of the U.S.-led coalition's most vital allies in the fight against ISIS, having made several important gains since the fighting started. Speaking to the camera during the six-minute long clip, Reuters reported one of the militants pointed to its grievances with the Peshmerga's alliance, using the derogatory term "Safavids" to refer to Iran, who has also provided assistance to the fighters.

To the Muslim Kurdish people: know that our war is not with you, rather it is with those who ventured into an alliance with the Safavids and crusaders to wage war on the Muslims.

Late last month, ISIS released a propaganda video showing at least 21 captive Peshmerga being paraded down the streets of Iraq in cages, with one militant issuing a threat to the Kurds to leave their "jobs" or risk being held in cages or "under the ground."

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Another militant in the clip issued a warning directed at Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani:

We warned you before that for every rocket you fire on those under the care of the Islamic State, you will kill one of your prisoners with your own hands.

The latest video, released in time for the Kurdish New Year of Newroz — or Nawroz — has angered Kurdish communities. Former Prime Minister of Iraq's Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Barham Salih lambasted the beheadings and declared Saturday's celebration the "Newroz of defiance." Using ISIS' other moniker, "Daesh," he said:

This terror will only strengthen our resolve.... This should turn people against Daesh. Kurds should unite in support of Peshmerga martyr families and campaign for more effective international assistance to our people.